I was initially dubious of the multi-pov, but the writing was great, and I quickly became immersed and invested in the characters and their stories. I basically read this book in one sitting, and I"ll be fully reviewing this on Goodreads later, but I would highly recommend!

A pair of friends set off across a trip of Impossible America after one of them is rediagnosed with cancer and the entire world is diagnosed as a simulation. With them is a whole bus full of zany characters, like an influencer, a pair of nuns traveling with a rabbi, and a mysterious woman running from something.
I wanted to enjoy it. But it was slow, dull, and soooooo pretentious.

I liked this a lot. It was thought-provoking, funny, serious, silly and mind-altering. It wasn't perfect, but it was enjoyable (mostly). The end felt a little rushed and the last 20% wasn't my cup of tea, either, but the previous 80% more than made up for it.

I was mostly taken with the relationship between JP and Dulin. I know these guys; I am one of those guys. The author's ability to accurately describe their friendship is really well-done and appreciated by me.

The sci-fi part of this was harder for me to grasp; it didn't make or break the story -- it added depth.

I'd read more from the author.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

Imagine you find out you not only live in a simulation but are part of it. Someone always has to find a way to make money out of an opportunity. The result, bus loads of people taking a trip across the country to see the Impossibles, the glitches within the simulation, and they are doozies. We join an eclectic group, including a cancer patient and his best friend, a rabbi, nun and novice questioning whether you pray to God or the simulators, a podcaster seeking to disprove the glitches traveling with his son, a 9 month pregnant girl who doesn’t want to be erased, and a mysterious woman who crashes the tour.

Each stop has a new “wonder of the world” becoming stranger and weirder and they travel forward to their end destination, Ghost City. Each character is so developed that you will not have trouble keeping them apart. Their exploits and stories are shuffled and redealt numerous times to keep you reading and wondering how this adventure will end. There are some existential moments that make you pause but you will want to get back on the bus to see how the insanity ends.

It is a fun, clever, inventive story that will keep you engaged throughout.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy.

Thanks to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for supplying this ARC of Daryl Gregory's 'When We Were Real.'

Very enjoyable speculative yarn which sees a US coast-to-coast road trip overlaid with 'The Matrix.'

A group of individuals takes a bus trip across the US in the wake of the fairly recent 'Announcement' revealing (or confirming!) that everyone is living in a computer simulation. Each character is 'LABELLED' initially and then fleshed out into real (or digital real) people with names, histories, and goals for the journey. There are too many to go into here but they're all very enjoyable and likeable but with 'human' flaws.

The trip is to visit 'The Impossibles,' the equivalent of our real-world roadside curiosities (think the world's biggest ball of string or Cadillac Ranch) but should be physical impossibilities but are, nonetheless, there to be seen, touched, and experienced. We experience The Impossibles and the journey as a whole through multiple character viewpoints and, as you'd imagine, all of the various character arcs begin to converge and cross as the book progresses.

There are a couple of narrative sidetracks which could be deemed to be superfluous and don't really aid the progress of the story but even those are enjoyable in their own right.

This is a funny, heartwarming book but does come with many opportunities to dive into the serious and thought-provoking.

I'd love to see this as a TV series though it might be very expensive to make.

Oh my goodness, this book is so good.
It was a bit confusing at first, Because there are a lot of characters to keep track of. But after the Frozen Tornado it got easier to remember peoples names and what was going on.

The characters are the drivers of this novel. They each have their own reasons for being on the tour and each one has a story to tell. Yet they all intermingle and play well off each other.

This book will make you wonder if you are in a simulation yourself. What is your thoughts on creators? What would you do with faced with a choice that is your family or the lives of all future beings?

I think that everyone can find a character to like/learn from in this novel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in philosophy, a mult verse lover, and just a good book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

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This book took me for a ride! Obviously the base concept intrigued me. But then, we started with what sure looked like an omniscient POV, something I don't love to put it mildly. The beginning was a bit slow. Many characters appeared to be nonentities, and some annoyed me. A passage here or there reminded me that Gregory could have used a sensitivity reader or five.

But then! The pace picked up. The further in I got, the faster the pages started turning. The omniscient POV from the beginning turned out to be a rare occurrence, and, better yet, turned out to have a purpose and a voice. Previously-ignored characters got their moments in the sun. Some characters who'd previously aggravated me proved to have enough depth I felt something for them. (Looking at you, Dulin.) Some didn't so much grow as remain irredeemable, shallow human garbage (looking at you, Lisa Marie,) but at least they drove plot. The philosophical underpinnings of the setting were explored with soul and nuance and no easy answers.

If this book was a duology, I'd rate the first half two stars, and the second half four. Because the end half is obviously fresher in my mind, I was tempted to give this book four stars over all, but a three is more objective and accurate, so three stars it gets.

Although there are some ties to a Matrix-like storyline, there is a lot of inventive imagery in this adventure. The impossibles are such fun elements - My favorite are the sheep! The backdrop of the story is a bus tour that visits and explores these impossibles, and it is like a pilgrimage that everyone should make during their lifetime. The bus full of random strangers gives you a crosscut of society, and the personalities feel so real, even though they are called just as often by their position as by their name. The repeated lifetimes seemed to have no purpose to me, and I can't say that I fully understood the ending. I still had fun on the trip alongside the Engineer for the most part. I absolutely hated Lisa Marie and not-so-secretly plotted her demise - if only the author shared my vision! I feel that there is a message that I am missing or a correlation that I overlooked that would make this book phenomenal to me. The story is a big life-changing adventure to those on the trip, and it was creative and entertaining to read!

Gregory seems endlessly inventive; this novel is set in a world with irrefutable proof that we live in a simulation, including Impossibles, which are phenomena that can’t be explained using physics (as well as a weekly text reminder that we are living in a simulation beamed to everyone’s brain—not clear what happens if the recipient can’t read). Some have responded with nihilism, considering everyone else (except perhaps fellow gun-toting, Matrix-loving incels) to be bots. On a tour of seven American Impossibles, a pregnant influencer, a rabbi, a nun (and accompanying novice), two German tourists, a would-be right-wing podcaster and his feckless son, a comic book writer, and his best friend, a retired engineer, join an inexperienced tour guide and seen-everything bus driver. But the trip gets more complicated when a fugitive joins them. Her mission is mysterious but urgent. Each of the characters has a distinctive perspective—the Engineer (“The thing is ridiculously oversized and out of scale, like a Koons Balloon Dog. He also doesn’t know how he feels when he looks at a Koons Balloon Dog.”), the Realist’s Son (“Why was anyone shocked that the world was not in our control, and that nothing we did mattered? The Simulators could hit reset at any time. Or climate change would kill us all. Same difference.”), and so on. I loved it.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I assume the title is referring to an earlier time because in the book's setting, it's been 7 years since everyone found out they are living in a simulation. There are a lot of layers to this book. I do like that the main characters were defined on the sightseeing bus trip to see The Impossibles which are things which couldn't exist on Earth as we know it today. The story kept my attention and I cared about many of the characters.

A wonderful combination of science fiction world creation and character development made this book a lot of fun to read. Our characters live in a world that they now know to be a simulation, and this news has affected everyone differently. We meet them as they are embarking on a bus tour of "impossible" phenomena that arose after news of the simulation was released. A lot of events occur that could only happen in this new world, which makes the book very funny and entertaining to read. At the same time, the characters feel very real and relatable. A fun and creative read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read everything by DG and was thrilled to get early access to this!
This is existential crisis in the matrix on a road trip with conspiracies.
Go read this!

#NetGalley

While this isn't the right fit for our libraries, it's a solid story with solid worldbuilding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga press for the ARC.

Wow, I really liked this one. It had so many layers that I wasn't expecting, especially as I got closer to the end.

When I started the story, something about it made me think of Tom Robbins... I think maybe it was the way the narration began by defining each character's role. Or maybe it was the irreverent tone? Or the absurdist streak defining the events taking place? Either way, I suspected I was in for a treat.

It felt like there were a lot of characters to keep track of in the beginning, but they were well drawn so that helped. Although not everyone was given proper names, no one was extraneous and even the smaller characters had an arc.

I always love imaginative stories and the way the plot unfolded was so creative and fun. The book blurb came across as a bit silly but the stakes felt real as we got to know these strangers and their backstories. I appreciated the new philosophies that had evolved as the characters has adjusted to their "new" circumstances... and just how much stayed the same. The major questions are all still unanswered: Who's in charge? What happens next? Does free will exist?

Nit-Picks: I found some of the settings to be confusing, especially the physics of the Zipper. Every time the author described where something was located within the Zipper, I couldn't picture it and I finally gave up trying. I also found myself pulled out of the story when it came to Lisa Marie. A 9-month-pregnant last can't lay on her back because the baby is too heavy... and a baby can't be manually held in the mother's body when it's trying to be born. It will go into fetal distress and die in a very short time, which is why emergency c-sections are done quickly and urgently. I know this will not be a big deal for the vast majority of the audience but I found it to be super distracting.

Beyond that, I was a huge fan of this story. I LOVED the final chapter in Ghost City. I plan to read the whole thing again and see what I discover this time around. I suspect it will be as one of the Octos says, the book seems to change every time you read it.

I'm so glad I was able to read this ahead of publication and I look forward to buying a hard copy once it's available.

An existential bus trip

I loved this book. It was a captivating read and a thought provoking commentary about what is important to people and why. The premise is if the world was not “real”, would that change who you are or your behavior and if it did, how and why. Despite the existential deep questions that the book raises, it is not preachy or heavy handed. The story was well written and included engaging dialogue, three dimensional characters, and a captivating storyline amidst phenomenal world building, woven together scene by scene, layer by layer until it became a living breathing place full of three dimensional beings. Seven years ago the citizens of earth learned that they were digital citizens of an artificial world. The Announcement was followed by the Appearances of the Impossibles. This resulted in the yearslong Freakout. This book tells the story of a bus tour taken by a handful of strangers to visit the North American Impossibles which are glitches in the digital world. At each stop along the trip we learn more about the passengers and the simulation. The story is told from the multiple POVs of the bus passengers. The passengers, who are the main characters in the story, start off as generic names and people without substance (the driver, the tour guide, the nurse, the proud grandmother, the professor, the reader, the engineer, the comic book writer, the realist, the realist’s son, the rabbi, the sister, the novice, the honeymooners, the influencer, and the Octos), but as the book unfolds each of their characters, feelings, and issues are fleshed out until they become real and relatable people who are doing the best they can as messy humans. Following their individual existential journeys that parallel the Impossibles bus tour is what makes the book hard to put down. Definitely read this book. Think deep thoughts. And maybe work toward being the person you’d be if you always showed up as who you want to be. 4.5 stars.

Some people watch the Matrix movies and go "Whoa." Some come up with this sort of thing. Let's hear it for the creatives out there.
Okay, now then ...
Let me preface this review by saying that I don't care for long books. Anything over 400 pages seldom proves worth the time and often comes across as indulgently verbose.
Yet did I hesitate picking up this 464-page book? Nope.
The reason being - Daryl Gregory.
I'm a total fan, have been for a while, since he first came out with his wildly unique nightmares before veering into the sci-fi/fantasy territory.
And sure enough, this was a really great read, though it took some time to get through. Much like Blake Crouch's recent work (another author with a similar career trajectory), it involves a grand speculative idea.
That idea here is: everyone is living in a simulation, knows about it, and has known about it for seven years. The glitches in the simulation cause a series of Impossibles (strange sights defying known laws of physics, etc.), and the novel follows a guided tour to these attractions and a colorful cast of characters on the tour bus.
The novel probably is slightly indulgent and likely could have been slightly shorter, but Gregory's too good of a writer to mind and has created too fun of a road trip to deny.
All in all, a great read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

A rare, easy five stars for WHEN WE WERE REAL The world building is the most creative I've read in a long time. The structure of the book flows and is easy to follow. The characters are fully formed, relatable, believable, and hysterical (mostly). And the plot: so original! Sure, there've been books on the world being just a simulation, but this one brings together a whole slew of people, their stories, how they deal with this reality of learning they are "code", all on a tour across North America to see the "Impossibles", phenomena that appeared as a way of prove the world isn't "real." How Daryl Gregory came up with such fascinating examples of these is beyond me. But it's the way each character deals with their encounters and how this effects the overarching plot that makes this book so great.

Oh, and it's hysterical. Mostly. As with all great books, there are underlying themes and lessons that apply to the "real" life we readers live in. (This review uses more quotation marks than any I've ever written!)

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for inviting me to read this advance copy. Thank you to NetGalley for the download.

The strangest book ! You cannot help but conjure up the Matrix in your. mind - even if you are not a Matrix fan.

From the beginning, we are all aware that this is a simulation - that 7 years ago, the simulation was announced to all on Earth.

Our protagonists include JP, who is suffering from a brain tumor has embarked on a tour of the North America Impossibles - reminder that it's a simulation (defying gravity for instance) with his best friend Dunlin. Also on the bus are a wide variety of characters including a professor nuns,a rabbi, an influencer, long suffering daughter and honeymooners, all who have very strong opinions and thoughts to share.

In some ways, very Tom Robbins-esque and in others, completely original. This is a fantastic book to share with a friend and argue about until...the end of time (you know, if there is one).
#sagapress #whenwewerereal #darylgregory

After reading Revelator earlier this year, I was ecstatic to get my hands on this new novel by Daryl Gregory. This story pushes the boundaries of your mind because the world is a simulation ... Think along the lines of The Matrix. How would you cope if you found that out? Would that be in itself a horror? This is a sci-fi, dystopian book but I sometimes think how some things are horrifying in and of themselves? Thank you Saga Press Books and NetGalley for this ARC! #sagssays #sagasayscrew

Check this one out when it publishes April 01, 2025!

This isn't a perfect book by any means, but I seriously loved reading it and dug the whole concept so it's getting 5 stars from me.

First of all, the title is a little confusing because no one in this story is real. Everyone in the book is (from the beginning) aware that they're living in some sort of simulation (who's running the simulation? well that's a little trickier to ascertain). One way the fact of the simulation is hammered home to its inhabitants are the "impossibles" - anomalies that define all the laws of time and space.

The book takes a bunch of random (dare I say "zany?") characters and puts them on a tour bus to see the impossibles. These people quickly become the story--the Impossibles are merely a framing device. How these characters all begin to interact and the greater mystery that is afoot is the true plot, and it's fun one to follow. Everyone ends up playing an important role in the story--which of course makes sense since it's part of the simulation.

In particular I loved Sister Janet and how she uses the whole tour to explore some very interesting ideas related to faith. (If you're living in a simulation, what room is there for God? Shouldn't you be worshipping the simulators instead? If you aren't, then is worshipping God equally silly?)

This perhaps all sounds confusing, and the book can be at times (shifting from second to third person, etc.) But, once you get into the groove, it all starts to make sense. Everything on the page is serving a purpose in this story and it's a delight to watch all of the threads weave together.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.